Market & The Economy

We recently came across a couple of interesting blogs by Martin Housel, partner at the Collaborative Fund and former columnist for the Wall Street Journal. Some of his thoughts really resonated with us, and we thought we’d share a few insights with you.

As the hard lockdown begins to soften a bit, we peer into an uncertain future and ponder what will happen next. Many of us crave guidance to help us along the road ahead. Scenario planner Clem Sunter thinks we’re about to walk a tightrope, a very wobbly tightrope on which we need to remain upright at all costs. Sunter shares four scenarios about what life will be like as we lift Covid-19 lockdown.

Confined to their homes during the three-week COVID-19 lockdown, many investors will become concerned, maybe even frantic, about their investments amid all the market turmoil and uncertainty. So, what should you do? There are many, many questions currently circulating. Here are a few that we have collated and answered with our thoughts and opinions.

Many South Africans are becoming nervous at the prospect of a possible downgrade. After enduring five years of modest returns on the South Africa market, some are starting to believe that now is the time to act. We came across a piece by two financial planning experts in the US who are discussing “talking clients off the ledge.”

Chances are we’ll all be able to relax over the festive season without Moody’s joining the other ratings agencies by reducing South Africa to sub-investment grade. But come 2020, the single horsehair suspending that Damoclean sword over us will seem more fragile than ever. So what’s going to happen? Global investment adviser Fundhouse has produced a penetrative analysis we’d like to share with you.